The Perils of Estimating Disengagement Effects of Deadly Terrorist Attacks Utilizing Social Media Data

Bibliographic Data

ID6228407
AuthorsTanja Marie Hansen (0000-0002-2863-6532, Aarhus University, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume52
Issue3
Pages1482-1489
Publication date2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Political Science (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1234 • E-ISSN: 1469-2112
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s000712342100017x
OpenAlexW3048729082
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited7

This comment discusses the impact of social media rule enforcement protocols on research on online data sources. It argues that the conclusions of the article ‘Do Islamic State's Deadly Attacks Disengage, Deter, or Mobilize Supporters?’ concerning the recruitment effects of deadly attacks cannot be assumed to hold when considering the timing of Twitter account suspensions. It highlights four ways in which suspensions can confound evidence of demobilization despite the introduction of control variables and fixed-effects model specifications. All change the composition of the sample in four non-random ways. First, suspending connected Islamic State accounts may result in follower loss. Secondly, Twitter suspension procedures may be tied to account characteristics, such as follower accrual rates. Thirdly, suspended accounts that re-emerge introduce replication bias. Fourthly, account closure may reflect user movement to other platforms in response to changing security environments following deadly attacks. In conclusion, caution is advised when platform-introduced variation risks altering the sample composition in non-random ways

Computer security · Criminology · Disengagement theory · Econometrics · Economics · Political science · Social media · Terrorism · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Law · Medicine · Psychology · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence

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